Page 109 of Seeing Harper

“Gone! As in not here. Missing. And I don’t know where she is. She ran because of you! So, thanks for that!” Summer bellowed at him as she turned her back to him and Richie and started moving through the parking lot looking for Harper. “Harper?!” she screamed over and over again.

“Summer!” Libby screamed into her phone for what must have been the dozenth time.

“What?!” Summer finally answered.

“I’m on my way. Don’t leave until I get there.”

“I’m not going anywhere until I find my friend!” Summer said.

“I’m going around back,” Clay said, starting out at a run.

“I’ll stay with Erica!” Richie called out.

Summer, who was ending the call with Libby, turned around with a snarl as she focused on Richie. “Yes, because his girlfriend is more important than Harper!”

Richie canted his head and walked slowly toward Summer. “What did you say?”

“I said his girlfriend doesn’t matter. Let her sit alone while you help find Harper. She’s heartbroken and hiding, and you’re worried about your son’s girlfriend.”

“Summer, Erica is not Clay’s girlfriend. She’s his attorney.”

Summer turned back to Richie, ready to snap at him again, but the words got stuck. “His… well, you know what? It doesn’t matter. Harper went in there to tell him she’s his mate and they’re mated. She was so excited to finally let him know that she loves him. And instead she left in tears because he’s sitting there with another woman.”

“He knows,” Richie said.

“Then why did he come home early and not even bother to tell Harper? Why is he sitting here with someone else and not with her?”

“That’s not my business to tell, and you need to remember that I’m your uncle, and second in this Pride. I am not your equal. Watch the way you talk to me,” Richie warned.

Summer narrowed her eyes as she glared at Richie. “Sorry. Maybe you can pass a little of my attitude along to your son.” She stalked off, heading around the outside of the restaurant, not trusting Clay to check properly.

Richie shook his head, called for Harper a few times, but when he got no answer and heard both Summer and Clay calling her name, he went back inside to check on Erica.

~~~

Harper quickly let herself through the gate of the black wrought iron fence that kept the parking lot of the restaurant separate from Riley and Maia’s house. Her tears were uncontrollable, and the last thing she wanted was Clay to see them and know that she was hurting. He’d never, ever know that she was hurting. She’d be damned if she ever let that happen. The only thing she could think of was to get away from everyone. Even from Summer, because it was evident when she took a quick glance behind herself that Summer hadn’t followed her out. She was probably still inside the restaurant. And knowing Summer, she was telling everybody off. “I don’t even care,” Harper whispered to herself as she choked back a sob and hurried into the back yard of Maia and Riley’s house.

Harper darted past the pool, then past the back porch, and took shelter in a thick flower bed of giant Canna Lillies and Tropical Hibiscus knowing they’d never see her in there. She sank down in the middle of them and finally let her tears flow freely. The sobs, though. No, not going to happen because someone might hear them and she didn’t want to be found by anyone.

Maia was sitting inside at her kitchen table, had heard the chime on the side gate go off, and saw movement dart across the yard. She focused just as Harper stepped into the flower bed with the twenty foot lillies in it. Maia got up, her brows bunching in confusion as she went out onto her porch. “Harper? Honey, what’s going on?”

Harper didn’t answer.

“Harper! I saw you run into my flower bed. Are you okay?”

Harper thought about it and knew she couldn’t defy her Reigna. She slowly stood up and moved the flower stalks in front of her aside as she looked up at Maia still standing on her back porch. “I’m hiding.”

“From?”

“Everybody,” Harper said, her lips starting to tremble again.

“Oh, honey. Come on, come inside.”

“I don’t want them to find me,” she confessed. “I don’t want Clay to see me crying. We were at the restaurant and I didn’t know where else to go that was nearby.”

“There’s a lesser chance of them finding you in here than out there. Come on,” Maia said, returning to her back door and opening it wide before looking back at Harper.

Harper nodded and followed Maia inside.